Posted February 21, 200817 yr I'm looking for something like Spark Space in Cols. http://www.sparkspace.com/ Should have not just tables and chairs but a kitchen (at least a sink and fridge) and preferably alternative furniture as well (couches, sectionals, etc.) For a business meeting that will go all day and into early evening for 2 days. If it's nearby restaurants that we can eat at or get catering from, that's a plus. In-building/on-site catering even better. A place with free parking would be great to. Does NOT have to be downtown, but needs to be in greater Cleveland area. A close contender would be the new "loft" space at Tastebuds, if you've seen that, but some of our people aren't crazy about their food, plus they only do lunch so we'd need to get breakfast brought in from somewhere else and we may have to pay for that. Thanks UOers!
February 21, 200817 yr You don't indicate how much of a budget you're working with. Try Forum Conference Center http://www.forumcc.com/corpoverview.html You can also try various company's and see if they can donate space. When i worked at SOHIO we would often let community groups use our conference facilities that were over looking the atrium. Same thing with Tower City. Try a few hotels and see if they can help or even a restaurant.
February 21, 200817 yr I just thought of the perfect place for you! Contact the folks at Stonebridge, they've got a brand new space. Its good community support.
February 21, 200817 yr I was just thinking of that, too. Not sure how they would fare in terms of furniture.
February 21, 200817 yr Well....you're one of the first people I've met who knows someone who doesn't like the food at TasteBuds! The spaces coming to my mind are not like SparkSpace, but are inspiring spaces. Both are in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Hines Hill is on a beautiful old estate and the November Lodge is a green build newly constructed building that is part of the Environmental Education Center. Both offer kitchens + ample parking as well as on site catering. http://www.cvnpa.org/meeting-facilities-at-cuyahoga-valley-national-park-association.php Also in the Park is the Stanford House Hostel which features a commercial kitchen + large dining room + large sitting room and ample free parking. The restaurants in Peninsula are about a 5 minute drive away OR a 25 minute walk down the beautiful towpath. http://www.stanfordhostel.com/
February 21, 200817 yr The forum is about the complete opposite of what we're looking for. An exact opposite would be hotel meeting room space. But I appreciate everyone's suggestions. I know there are companies out there with space but it's sort of chicken egg. I can't just look up phone numbers and cold call. I looked at space at an architecture firm today that was very nice but no "relaxing" type furniture, for example.
February 21, 200817 yr I *think* they have something like what you're looking for at the DCA/CVB offices in the Higbee Building. Not sure of the kitchen availability, though. clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
February 21, 200817 yr Well....you're one of the first people I've met who knows someone who doesn't like the food at TasteBuds! I love Taste Buds! But the person whose event this is supposed to be (I offered to help find space since she is just not motivated) said she didn't care for it and the other girl we were with said she didn't think much of it either. Whatever. I think they'd be better than hotel food, that's for sure, and definitely better than the food at the Forum. Thx for the suggestions guys, keep 'em coming!
February 21, 200817 yr I will contact Stonebridge. I haven't contacted anyone yet as I'm trying to get a proposal out the door this afternoon and it's a little hectic.
February 21, 200817 yr You an also try Gateway or Playhouse square, RRHof, the Science Center.. PSQ often has meetings in their lobbies during business hours. Make calls into their community affairs/Public relations office. All of these building were built with taxpayer dollars and all have programs to "give back" to the community. Do not be afraid to ask and yes, you're going to have to make some cold calls. Also, call the CVB burean and COSE.
February 21, 200817 yr I have contacted the CVB before, they are of VERY little help I'm sorry to say. I'm pretty familiar with a lot of space in town. I can tell you the rock hall, science center, Playhouse Square, none of these have space that is what I'm looking for. We have FREE space at the Q and no way would I hold another event there, it's just bad in every category. I guess I'm looking for a needle in a haystack. :) I really appreciate everyone's suggestions though, seriously. I wish we had more creative spaces here than just a room with a conventional table and chairs, that's all.
February 21, 200817 yr Yeah the CVB fails to realize that small businesses/entrepreneurs and diverse (gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women) company's need to meet as well. They're shortsighted in thinking that conventions/meetings is all about big business. Today's small company or meeting could be tomorrows Key Band and annual national convention.
February 21, 200817 yr Yeah the CVB fails to realize that small businesses/entrepreneurs and diverse (gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women) company's need to meet as well. They're shortsighted in thinking that conventions/meetings is all about big business. Today's small company or meeting could be tomorrows Key Band and annual national convention. I'm actually surprised that there aren't a lot of places into creating alternative spaces for meetings. I mean, Spark Space isn't like so cutting edge weird that having a meeting there could be considered remotely edgy, but it's perfect for those looking for something different; room stocked with games, comfortable/fun seating in one part of the room, conventional seating in another, full AV capabilities, catering company with good food, etc. Why is this so hard?
February 21, 200817 yr Have you looked into something like Tyler Village, maybe? I dunno if they have open conference space, but maybe it's something?
February 21, 200817 yr Yeah the CVB fails to realize that small businesses/entrepreneurs and diverse (gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women) company's need to meet as well. They're shortsighted in thinking that conventions/meetings is all about big business. Today's small company or meeting could be tomorrows Key Band and annual national convention. I'm sorry, this is probably opening a can of worms here, but how exactly is a "gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women" meeting space going to be different than a conventional meeting space?
February 21, 200817 yr Yeah the CVB fails to realize that small businesses/entrepreneurs and diverse (gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women) company's need to meet as well. They're shortsighted in thinking that conventions/meetings is all about big business. Today's small company or meeting could be tomorrows Key Band and annual national convention. I'm sorry, this is probably opening a can of worms here, but how exactly is a "gay & lesbian/black/Latino/women" meeting space going to be different than a conventional meeting space? Yes it is. The CVB (nonpositively cleveland) seems to think only large company's bring in dollars. They are not very open/easily accessible to showcasing the city to Black, Latino, Women's or gay groups that want to come. X, remember not every group that comes wants a "convention" some groups come in and want a weekend or a day, or needs meeting space downtown. I know people that have tried to organize events that get a very dismissive attitude from the CVB. When the NBA finals & the NCAA were in Cleveland there, some lesbian groups had difficulty getting a return phone call when they tried to arrange meeting space, not withstanding the lock on rooms for the finals themselves.
February 21, 200817 yr Because it's a well known fact that all straight white males like to just meet in the conference room at the Holiday Inn. :-P
February 21, 200817 yr I dunno what Tyler Village is? I do plan to check out Legacy and Crocker. The first/obvious problem with those spaces is that we'll have to drive to/from a hotel, but it's possible there's a nearby hotel that runs a shuttle so I'll look into that. We had a very successful meeting like this at Easton. It's really convenient to have everything right there. Hotel for sleeping, a variety of spaces/restaurants for meeting and eating, and some shopping for fun. We went to the pottery place and had to make pottery for someone else on the team, and had a short scavenger hunt list of things to purchase and bring back in a certain time. That was fun.
February 21, 200817 yr "I know people that have tried to organize events that get a very dismissive attitude from the CVB." Did they write a letter? clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
February 21, 200817 yr I think what is being said is that the CVB doesn't cater to smaller, more creative companies, which consist of disproportionately higher amounts of various types of minorities. Of course, this doesn't mean there aren't non-minorities in these groups...just not at the dominating rate of the large corporations which the CVB caters to.
February 21, 200817 yr Wow, this thread is moving fast. I was going to suggest Tyler Village before, as well. I don't know if they have something, but it's a possibility. Maybe you could ask weepinwillow.
February 21, 200817 yr Probably not you are looking for but a cool space! Frank Lloyd Wright's Penfield House: http://www.penfieldhouse.com/ SPECIAL EVENTS ARE RESTRICTED TO CORPORATE EVENTS, BUSINESS RETREATS, NON-PROFIT EVENTS, ARCHITECTURAL GROUPS OR TO THOSE WITH AN INTEREST IN ARCHITECTURE. WE DO NOT HOST WEDDINGS OR OTHER PARTY EVENTS. THE RATE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS IS $800 FOR 8 HOURS PLUS A $50 SERVICE FEE. Urban Ohio qualifies right? Time for a party!
February 21, 200817 yr Tyler Village (doesn't look like they have a conference room). www.tylervillage.com Also, maybe the Tower Press building? According to their website, they have a meeting room there. Still not sure if this is what you're looking for at all. No pics of the meeting room on the website, though, and I'm not sure if it's available to people outside the building. www.towerpress.com
February 22, 200817 yr I talked to someone who lives in Stonebridge and went to the grand opening of their space, he got a tour, etc. It's not appropriate for our group. Nice space but they don't have anything private.
February 22, 200817 yr I'm working on the same thing, rockandroller ... setting up a meeting for 60 out-of-town arts administators, and it's tough. Want to find a space that's funky and has windows (gasp!) but that also has built-in tech capacity, is close to the hotels and can accommodate a group that size for two days. Here are my thoughts on a couple of things that have come up: - Ideastream has some very nice meeting spaces that definitely feel a little less corporate than some of the other spaces that have been mentioned. - Great Lakes Science Center also has some nice space and is pretty hotel accessible from the waterfront line, but they also have in-house catering, so it can get kind of expensive. - Tower Press does have meeting space in its Wooltex Gallery. The chairs are not very comfortable, the acoustics can be challenging and it's hard to heat the space during winter meetings (the overhead heating system can make it really difficult to talk, but the gigantic room loses heat quickly if you don't have it on). Still, it's definitely an interesting space with a lot of natural light and tons of art on the walls. - If you can rent chairs and tables, there are some other pretty funky areas near downtown. Josaphat Arts Hall, the Bloch Building and Daffy Dan's building next door to Tower Press all come to mind, as does the aforementioned Tyler Village. - A short train ride away, there are some interesting spaces near the W. 25th rapid station, like Bar Cento and Talkies. In the other direction, and a little longer trip, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes has a GREAT meeting room (can probably accommodate 50), an adjacent kitchen, overlooks parklands and an exhibit area, has reasonable rates and is in one of the greenest buildings in Cleveland. Very interesting space. - While it's a franchise, the House of Blues does have some amazing private meeting space. I'm also thinking about contacting Pickwick and some of the other restaurants along that corridor about private meetings. Keep me posted! I need all the ideas I can get ... my meeting's coming up in mid-May.
February 22, 200817 yr I'm working on the same thing, rockandroller ... setting up a meeting for 60 out-of-town arts administators, and it's tough. Want to find a space that's funky and has windows (gasp!) but that also has built-in tech capacity, is close to the hotels and can accommodate a group that size for two days. Here are my thoughts on a couple of things that have come up: - Ideastream has some very nice meeting spaces that definitely feel a little less corporate than some of the other spaces that have been mentioned. - Great Lakes Science Center also has some nice space and is pretty hotel accessible from the waterfront line, but they also have in-house catering, so it can get kind of expensive. - Tower Press does have meeting space in its Wooltex Gallery. The chairs are not very comfortable, the acoustics can be challenging and it's hard to heat the space during winter meetings (the overhead heating system can make it really difficult to talk, but the gigantic room loses heat quickly if you don't have it on). Still, it's definitely an interesting space with a lot of natural light and tons of art on the walls. - If you can rent chairs and tables, there are some other pretty funky areas near downtown. Josaphat Arts Hall, the Bloch Building and Daffy Dan's building next door to Tower Press all come to mind, as does the aforementioned Tyler Village. - A short train ride away, there are some interesting spaces near the W. 25th rapid station, like Bar Cento and Talkies. In the other direction, and a little longer trip, the Nature Center at Shaker Lakes has a GREAT meeting room (can probably accommodate 50), an adjacent kitchen, overlooks parklands and an exhibit area, has reasonable rates and is in one of the greenest buildings in Cleveland. Very interesting space. - While it's a franchise, the House of Blues does have some amazing private meeting space. I'm also thinking about contacting Pickwick and some of the other restaurants along that corridor about private meetings. Keep me posted! I need all the ideas I can get ... my meeting's coming up in mid-May. Thanks for your response. HOB is too expensive for us. This is a really small meeting and has to be done on a small budget. I've seen the space at the science center and was underwhelmed. The thing about spaces like talkies or bar cento is we need a private room, plus a space that's open from early morning into dinnertime and it's just a real challenge. I will check out ideastream and nature center.
February 22, 200817 yr Josaphat might be perfect for you, rockandroller! There is a kitchen there and it's a beautiful space. It's about three blocks east of Tastebuds. http://www.josaphatartshall.com/ Also, Great Lakes Brewing has a couple meeting spaces that might work for your group, including the Tasting Room on W. 26th for a big space and some smaller spaces in its main buildings on Market Ave. http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/
February 22, 200817 yr hmm, that's not quite right for us either. It's way too big (this is only a group of about 15) for starters. We're really looking for something that's more "cozy" in it's alternative way instead of just a different building/location. It could even be in a hotel if they had, you know, couches and a fireplace or something.
February 22, 200817 yr I know this doesnt fit either group, but if others are interested or following this thread,Gypsy Bean's room in the back fits 6-8 or so. Very cozy and it is wireless of course. I have had many meetings there.
February 22, 200817 yr If you're willing to travel a minute you could do the meeting at Radisson in downtown Akron. I'm sure its less expensive than equivalent space in downtown Cleveland.. Here's the website: http://www.akronradisson.com/pages/floorplans/19thfloor.html
February 22, 200817 yr Doesn't look like anyone mentioned Trinity Cathedral yet: http://www.trinitycleveland.org/about/building.html I know a lot of local groups have their meetings there. They have a great assortment of large to small private rooms, have on-site catering and an attached cafe (Ah-roma) that has great food too.
February 22, 200817 yr Gypsy Bean is at the corner of W. 65th & Detroit ... and it's awesome. OMG I've BEEN there, a bunch of times. I didn't know what they were called. Thanks.
February 22, 200817 yr you must try their chili brownies....yummy! and top it off with one of the international coffees. Yes, people I traveled to the westside for coffee 8-)
February 22, 200817 yr KA Architects has a new space at the corner of W9th and Superior (Warehouse District) that may have what your looking for: http://www.architectureoflife.com/9th_Street_Design_Studio.html
February 22, 200817 yr KA Architects has a new space at the corner of W9th and Superior (Warehouse District) that may have what your looking for: http://www.architectureoflife.com/9th_Street_Design_Studio.html Ironically, I just went there yesterday. It's nice space and I would definitely hold something there, but not this meeting. We really need something besides "regular old" table and chairs. This is like a 2 day retreat with brainstorming and sometimes stuff like games to think of new ideas for different challenges. It just does better in an alternative space where people are more comfortable, with couches or whatever. I put together some suggestions and presented them to the person who is supposed to be doing this. 3 downtown proposals and an E side (focused around Legacy Village) and W side (focused around Crocker) proposal. Thanks everyone for your thoughts.
February 23, 200817 yr you must try their chili brownies....yummy! and top it off with one of the international coffees. Yes, people I traveled to the westside for coffee 8-) I am stunned you crossed the river other than to go to the airport...wow
February 23, 200817 yr I am stunned you crossed the river other than to go to the airport...wow LOL we'll I do have family on the westside. They sure as hell wont step foot in the 'burbs.
February 24, 200817 yr Thought of a super insanely creative meeting space further afield of Cleveland by Pittsburgh's airport. Thought I'd mention it since I'm sure practically no one is aware this place exists. http://www.inventionland.com/ Its a pretty impressive facility more for heavy duty designers of consumer products.
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